Apparent Depth
A pencil partly under water looks bent when viewed from above (Figure 1).
We can explain this using the concept of refraction and the knowledge that our brains perceive light rays to always
travel in a straight line. Light from the submerged pencil tip reaches your eyes. Your brain then projects the rays
backwards in a straight line to create a virtual image in the water. This virtual image is higher than the actual pencil
tip, resulting in the pencil appearing to be bent. The pencil tip appears to be at a shallower depth than it really is. The
distance from the surface of the water to where the object appears to be (the virtual image) is called the apparent
depth (Figure 2). A paddle in the water also appears to be closer to the surface for the same reason.
The "Flattened" Sun
Sunsets offer a unique opportunity to see an unusual image due to refraction.
People notice that when the Sun is near the horizon during sunset, it appears to be flattened. The Sun, of course, is
not really flattened (Figure 5). When the Sun is close to the horizon, light from the bottom of the Sun is refracted more
than light from the top of the Sun. Part of the reason is that air is more dense near Earth's surface than higher up in
the atmosphere. So the increased density of air closer to Earth results in greater bending of the Sun's rays. In
addition, the light rays from the bottom of the Sun have a greater angle of incidence than the light rays from the top of
the Sun. This results in the Sun having a flattened appearance rather than its familiar round shape.
Water on Pavement- The Mirage
Many people have noticed what appears to be a pool of water in front of them as they drive along a highway (Figure
6(a)). This pool of water seems to be only a short distance away, yet the car never seems to reach it. The pool
appears to be constantly moving away.
The pool of water on a highway is a mirage. A mirage can appear when light is travelling from cool air into warmer air.
The index of refraction for air decreases as the air gets warmer. This results in light bending farther away from the
normal as the air temperature continues to increase.
Eventually, total internal reflection occurs in the lowest (hottest) air layer (Figure 6(b)). The light ray now travels up
from the hottest layer to the cooler layer above and is gradually refracted toward the normal as the air temperature
decreases. This light ray eventually enters your eyes. A motorist who sees this curved light forms a virtual image on
the highway.
In reality, the pool of water is a virtual image of the sky on the highway.
Because the human brain perceives light to travel in a straight line, the motorist projects the image of the sky onto the
highway.
Apparent Depth
Objects under water look closer than they really are because light bends as it moves from water
to air. Your brain sees the light as coming in a straight line, making the object appear higher.
Flattened Sun
At sunset, the Sun looks squished because the bottom rays bend more than the top ones. This
happens due to thicker air near the ground.
Mirage
A mirage on a hot road is light bending through hot air and reflecting. Your brain thinks the light
came straight, so it sees a fake image of the sky that looks like water.